Bumper



3. F. L. KAUFMANN ET AL BUMPER A ril 20,1926. 1,581,349

Filed July 11, 1925 Patented Apr. 20, .1926.

UNETE s'r CHARLES E. L. KAUFMANN All D WA'JLEBL. KAUFMANN, OF SANTA.ANA, CALIFORNIA.

roman.-

Application and July 11, 1925. am; m. 42,997.

To aZZ whom it may concern."

Be it known that we, CHAnLns F. L. KAUF- MANN and /VALLER L. KAUFMANN,citizens of the United States, residin at Santa Ana,

in the county of Orange an State of California, have invented a new anduseful Bumper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bumpers and more particularly to an improvedmodification of the bumper disclosed in our copending application SerialNumber 5,999 filed January 31, 1925.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved form ofconstruction of the intermediate impact section of the bumper.

that is between the frame members of the vehicle to which the same isattached so as to provide a rigid impact section, which rigid impactsection is yieldably mounted in position in advance of the frame of themotor vehicle. 1

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

1n the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bumper em-' bodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

3 is a sectional end elevation taken substantially on the line 33 of Fi1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation taken substantially on the line H,of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detached lan view of a rigid impact section and y eldablysupporting ends thereof.

1n the preferred form of our invention, 1 illustrates a forward impactsection composed of a plurality of spring steel bars 2 and 3, whichspring steel bars are looped at their ends to provide eyes 4 throughwhich bolts 5 extend and which bolt 5 is provided between the bars 2 and3 with spacers 6 so as to hold the bars rigidly spaced apart atport thebars 2 and 3 and maintain the same spaced a art. I

The 0 amps 8 which support the bum, er from the frame of the vehiclepreferably comprise a casting 15 curved as illustrated at 16 toproximate the curvature of the horn of the vehicle frame and which areprovided at their forward end with flanges 17 through which bolts 18 areextended. The bolts 18 likewise pass through a castmg 19 and provide aclamp therewith. The bars 7 and 10 are clamped together and held nposition between the flange 17 of the castmg 16 and the casting 19 bymeans of the bolts 18. The portion of the casting 15 which is curved toproximate the curvature of the horn of the motor vehicle is preferablysecured thereto by means of bolts 20. The clamps 14:, by means of whichthe intermediate bars 10 are clamped to the forward impact section 1,preferably comprise a hollow casting 21 which has a slot 22 extendinghorizontally therethrough and recesses 23 of approximately the width ofthe bars 2 and 3 of the forward impact section so that the bars 2 and.3'fit closely within the slots 22 and recesses 23. The recesses 23 attheir intermediate ends provide faces 23 against which the adjacentedges of the bars 2 and 3 abut.

A second casting 24 is provided which likewise provides a nameplate orsymbol casting for the bumper. This casting 2 1 is secured to thecasting 20 by means of bolts 25 at its ends and by means of a stud bolt26 at its center, the stud bolt 26 being screw threaded into the portion27 of the casting to the rear of the horizontal portions 13 of theintermediate bars 10. In addition to the looped portions 11 of theintermediate bars 10, means are proyided for absorbing the impact forceimparted to the impact section may be', obviously, varied in detailwithout lower ends by means of bolts 33. The impact member 30 isconstructed of rubber or like resilient material and is so mountedbetween the looped ends of the bars 10 as to provide a resilientyielding member which acts together with the spring loop 11 formed inthe bar 10 to absorb the impact shock which may be imparted to theimpact section 1 of the bumper.

By this construction of clamp 14, the forward edge 36 of the horizontalportions 13 of the intermediate bars 10 may be projected forward to aposition in thesame vertical plane with the front face 37 of the bars 2and 3 and casting 24 may be employed to rigidly and positively maintainall of the bars 2, 3, 10 in position. Th1s construction also enables theuse of a central bolt, such as 26, to revent the castings 24 and 14:from being distended from their osition, and permits the bars to beretained in position and to revent rattling after the same have receivea violent impact.

The bolt 26 is threaded at both ends and the intermediate sectionthereof provides a spacer for the bars 13. Fitted over the forward endof the bolt 26 is a washer 38 which has a pair of ears 39 which act asspacers for the bars 13. Screw threaded to the bolt 26 is a nut 40 tomaintain the washer 38 in osition. Nuts 41 are screw threaded to theorward ends of the bolts 26 to maintain the castings 24 in position.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modlfied form of mounting for mounting theintermediate bar 10 to the rearward supporting bar 7 in whichmodificationa spacer 34 is mounted between the ends of the bars 7 and 10and a bolt 35 is passed through bores formed in the respective sectionsof the bars 7 and 10 and through the spacers 34: to secure the sametogether.

This modification, may be particularly desirable for use in connectionwith many of the common forms of clamps or brackets for securing thebumper to the motor vehicle frame.

Having fully described a preferred embodiment of this invention, it isto be understood that we do not wish to be limited to the exactconstruction herein set forth, which departing from the spirit of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a bumper, a forward impact section connected at spaced points to apair of fiat steel bars having their fiat faces in horizontal planes,whereby the impact section is provided with a rigid central portion, andmeans for attaching such bumper to a motor vehicle.

2. In a motor vehicle bumper, a pair of vertically spaced spring steelbuffer bars connected at spaced points to a pair of fiat steel barshaving their fiat faces in horizontal planes, whereby the verticallyspaced bars are provided with a rigid central portion, and means forattaching such bumper to the vehicle.

3. In a motor vehicle bumper a forward impact structure, a secondary andsupporting structure connected by spring loops to the front structure,and impact members disposed between said structures so that the forcesof the impact may be gently absorbed by said impact members and saidspring loops, and a rigid impact section'so connected to the forwardimpact structure that its forward edges are aligned with the front sidesof the members forming the forward impact structure.

4. A motor vehicle bumper, comprising a plurality of vertically spaced.bars, a pair of flat steel bars having their flat faces disposed inhorizontal planes joined to the medial portion of the said spaced barsso as to cause the same to be rigid horizontally.

5. A motor vehicle bumper, comprising a plurality of vertically spacedbars, a plurality of flat steel bars having their flat faces disposed inhorizontal planes, the latter said bars being joined to the medialportion of the first said bars so as to cause the same to be rigidhorizontally, and impact members supported in position to absorb impactimparted to the rigidly joined portion of the said bars.

6. A motor vehicle bumper comprising an impact bar adapted to extendtransversely of the vehicle, spaced clamps secured to medial points ofsaid bar, a pair of fiat steel bars aving their greatest transversedimension in horizontal planes and held by said clamps in position toreinforce the impact bar, and a secondary bar carrying such impact bar.

7. A motor vehicle bumper, comprising a pair of attaching membersholding the umper directly in front thereof, impact bars having rigidsections formed of a pair of bars having their greatest transversedimension in horizontal planes, and means mounting such bars in positionand bearing against said. attaching members to absorb impact shocks.

8. A bu-mper comprising a forward impact section, a pair of intermediatebars looped at their ends and twisted intermediate their ends so as toprovide horizontally extending sections at the front of the bumper forreinforcing the said impact section and making the center thereof rigid,a supporting bar secured to the intermediate loop bars, means forclamping the supporting bar and 100 bars in position, means for securingthe sai loop bars to the impact section, and impact members interposedbetween the said secur- 1ng means.

9. Abumper, comprising a pair of vertically spaced spring steel bars, aplurality of flat steel bars positioned intermediate the said verticallyspaced bars and rigidly connected to the vertically spaced bars, meansfor securing the bumper in position, and resilient impact membersinterposed between the said securing means and the said impact section.10. In a bumper, the combination of a plurality of vertically spacedbars having their front faces in the same vertical plane, intermediatebars disposed between the said vertically spaced bars and presentingtheir edge faces in the plane of the said front faces of the verticallyspaced bars, and means for securing the said vertically spaced bars andthe horizontally disposed bar in posiion.

11. In a bumper, the combination of a plurality of vertically spacedbars having their front faces in the same vertical (plane,

a plurality of horizontally dispose and spaced bars mounted intermediatethe first said vertically spaced bars and presentin edge faces in thesame vertical plane wit% the front faces of the first said verticallyspaced bars, and means for rigidly securing the said bars'together.

,12. In a bumper, the combination of a vertical impact section, apair ofintermediate bars 100 ed at their opposed ends and twisted at rig tangles so as to present horizontally disposed sections for reinforcingthe said impact section, means for rigidly securing the saidintermediate bars to the impact section, and means for securing the saidintermediate bars to a motor vehicle frame.

13. In a bumper, the combination of a forward impact section, a pair ofintermediate bars looped at their opposed ends and twisted at rightangles at their adjacent ends, and means for securing the saidintermediate bars together and to the said impact section at the twistedsections.

14. In' a bum er, the combination of a forward vertica y extendingimpact section, a pair of intermediate bars looped at their opposed endsand twisted at their adjacent ends, means for securing the saidintermediate bars to the said vertical impact section, the said verticalimpact section being looped rearwardly at its opposite ends.

15. In a bumper, the combination of a plurality of vertically spacedbars, a plurality of intermediate bars looped at their 0 posed ends andtwisted at right angles at t eir adjacent ends, means for securing thesaid intermediate bars together and to the vertically s aced bars and soas to maintain the vertica y spaced bars in spaced relation the saidvertically s aced bars being curved at their ends and ing provided attheir ends with spacers for maintaining the vertically disposed bars inspaced relation at their ends.

16. In a motor vehicle bumper, a forward impact structure, a pluralityof flat steel bars having their flat faces in horizontal lanes connectedby spring loopsto the out structure, means for attaching the bumper tothe motor vehicle, act members disposed between the sai securing meansand the said flat steel bars so that the forces of impact may be gentlyabsorbed by said im act members and said spring loops, the at steel barsbeing so connect to the forward impact structure that their forward sidefaces 0 the members forming .the forward impact struct 17. In a bumper,the combination of a forward vertically extending'imppct section, a pairof intermediate flat steel ars 100 at their opposite ends and twisted attheir adjacent ends so as to provide forward sections havin their flatfaces disposed in horizontal p nes, means for-securing the saidintermediate bars to the said vertical impact section, the said flatsteel bars belooped rearwardly at their opposite 18. In a bumper, thecombination of a forward impact section, a pair of intermediate flatsteel bars 100 d at their opposite ends and twisted at right angles attheir adjacent ends so as to provide a rigid forward section having teir flat faces disin horizontal planes, and means for securing the saidintermediate bars together and to the impact section at the twistedsections.

Signed at Los Angeles California, this 30th day of June 1925.

CHARLES F. L. KAUFMANN.

WALLER L. KAUFMANN.

are aligned'with the front

